Rachel Getting Married

Here's a movie that got a lot of what's referred to as "critical acclaim" by "critics" who don't like pesky things in movies like "enjoyability" or "likable characters." It's about a psychotic self-centered drug addict who is released from the mental hospital just in time for her sister's wedding two days later, fun! It's realistic, in that everybody gives insufferable speeches for most of the movie/wedding, and also since I know people like Anne Hathaway's character I just spent the whole movie hoping she wouldn't say something embarassing or dumb a million times (no dice). If this were fiction workshop, somebody might criticize the lack of direction, story arc, and moment of revelation, but also if this were fiction workshop I'd be asleep or listening to my crazy professor drone on about some bizarre insect bite she got on her scalp while explaining her half hour tardiness. Oh, now I get it - the movie is about every writing professor when he or she is young, that's why everybody I know loved it.

RATING: 53%

The Silence Of The Lambs

Hey, you guys know what a great movie is? This one, that's what. As you all probably know, this is a fantastic and suspenseful movie that deals with complex issues of gender construction in our society and the emotional impact of trying to challenge that, oh and also some murders etc. It is based on the not so great book by Thomas Harris, although that book is not as abysmal as its sequel, Hannibal. The direction is amazingly tight, and Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins burn up the screen when either of them is on camera. You know, this was on my top 100, but then I made some inexplicable changes and now Elephant is on my top 100. Maybe I would change it if I hadn't already reviewed that one.

PS - I really like Poetry Magazine's cameo in the movie, and also the film's climax is set to Hip Priest by The Fall. Extra points.

RATING: 86%